Saturday, August 31, 2019

Football and Soccer Compare and Contrast

Football and Soccer Compare and Contrast. Football and soccer have never been really compared before, probably because alot of people think they dont have many similarities. But they actually have alot more in common that people think they do. Having played both sports myself i can tell you that they are very different in varius ways, but also very alike. It depends in what aspects you look at it that you can see differences or similarites. Off field soccer and football share different backgrounds. On field comparisons are never talked about but they actually have somre similarities. Yes football is more of a contact sport, and soccer more of a technique sport. But football does have technique as well, and soccer contact. On the field, both teams rely on team play to move up the field and try to score on the opposing team. Both sports have a total of 22 players on the field, 11 on each team, and passing the ball to teamates is key. In both sports the offensive players take most of the glory and the spotlight, but its know that without a good defense, its hard to win. You can score all the points you want but if they score more points on you then your still losing. Scoring is very different though. On football each time you score is called a touchdown and its given 6 points plus and extra point to try to make it 7. Soccer scoring its only 1 point and its not called touchdown but its called gol. The game of football has alot more breaks during it, and it has 4 quarters. During each play you have small breaks, plus alot of timeouts and tv comercial breaks. Soccer is a non-stop sport with only 2 halfs and no breaks during each half, just the 30 minute halftime break. One of the main differences on both these sports in my mind is that football is only a sport played in the United States, while soccer is a worldwide know sport. Soccer means alot in many countries all over the world, and theres tournaments that bring every teams all over the world together. Football's major event is held here in the United States and it only it involves the one country. United States has soccer, but its one of their least successful sports economacly and physically. It has faild to reach the fan base they wanted, and the MLS (soccer league) was close to be being shut own due to lack of fans and lack of income. Soccer is like a religion in many countries all over the world and it means everything to its fans. Where im from, Argentina, soccer is bigger than anything. Alot of people take soccer even more serious than their jobs. Sometimes a little to serious. There has been a lot of soccer related accidents in Argentina and many other parts of the world. Many of the ac cidents occur during games in the stands. Soccer rivalries are very big in Argentina. Sometimes they seperate towns. Just like gangs here in United States, soccer fans fight for respect and hate towards the other team, a lot of times ending in deaths. Other incidents occur off the field. A good example to show how serious fans take the game, is the incident that occur after a World Cup, when a colombian player scored an own goal during an important game, and he was assasinated a few days later. Things like that usually never happen here in the United States. Not to say that fans are no passionate about football, but its a different type of passion. The United States understands how important soccer is worldwide, and they have tried to make soccer bigger here in the United Sates, but have failed several times. They have tried to publish soccer more by advertising and by trying to bring famous players all over the world to play here in the United States. Living here in the US, i saw that football was the major sport here. But there are alot of competing sports like basketball and baseball, and there is also college sports, which are also very big here. In Argentina, there are of course many other sports, but none come close to soccer. As a little kid, i never knew of any other sport than soccer. Every little kid growing up wants to be a soccer player when their older. And that dosn't sound like a problem, but in my opinion it is. Alot of kids growing up have â€Å"dream jobs†. Some are sports realted some are not. A lot of kids dream of being doctors, lawyers, firemans and of course start athleets. But in Argentina, most of the kids wanna be the only thing they knew growing up, a soccer player. And with most of those kids not reaching that dream, it leaves a lot of confused kids. So like most people think, there are many differences overall between football and soccer. But there are more similarities than people think there are. Maybe in the future wih the growth of soccer in the United States, we will have even more things in common. And maybe the passion for soccer here in US will one day be as big as it is in the rest of the world, but hopefullt without all the violence.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Implementing Change Essay

Implementing change among all organizations is necessary to achieve success; within the health care industry change is constant and it is the role of management teams to assess, plan, implement and evaluate change to ensure satisfaction. Considering this among the other aspects of running a successful organization it is essential to ensure that there is minimal resistance and familiarity to change. Demands of the consumers and staff as well as regulations are continuously changing. The responsibility of managers is to successfully lead these inevitable changes. As managers it is a priority to identify issues and potential opportunities. â€Å"Change is often planned to close a discrepancy between the desired and actual state of affairs. Discrepancies may arise because of problems in reaching performance goals or because new goals have been created. Opportunities demand change as much as (or more than) problems do, but they are often overlooked. Be it a problem or an opportunity, it must be identified clearly† (Sullivan, E.J. & Decker, P.J., 2009). A manager should continually strive to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their staff and incorporate these observations into recommended improvements associated with change within the organization. This process could eliminate a great deal of staff resistance by commending their qualities to benefit them as employees and the organization as a whole. Within the health care industry there is constant change. It takes a tremendous amount of awareness, education, and planning from management teams to build and maintain an effective program that is sufficient. A good team will have the ability to recognize potential change in all aspects relating to an organization; medical professionals, patients, structural strength and regulation, and an ongoing list of other aspects. A quality management team can then take these observations and construct a plan to begin the implementation process. Stemming from the planning process comes the implementation phase. It should be considered that there is always room for improvement and take a team of motivated and persistent members to execute a continuous effort to better the quality of health care. A goal that is to be pursued is to always exceed the standard and expectations and always improve the quality of an organization. Strategies such as the power-coercive strategy, normative–reeducative strategies, or the empirical-rational model can assist managers in the implementation process. Also, a continuous quality improvement plan should include a link to key elements of the organization’s strategic plan, quality council made up of the institution’s top leadership, training programs for personnel, mechanisms for selecting improvement opportunities, formation of process improvement teams, staff support for process analysis and redesign, personnel policies that motivate and support staff participation in process improvement, and the most current and rigorous techniques of the scientific method and statistical process control (Sollecito, W. A., & Johnson, J. K., 2013). Once change has been implemented management must then observe and evaluate the benefits and strains the staff and the organization are facing in order to ensure the success of the implemented change. Identifying any resistance or struggles with the implemented change should always be a priority of management to ensure continued success. â€Å"Resistance prevents the unexpected. It forces the change agent to clarify information, keep interest level high, and establish why change is necessary. It draws attention to potential problems and encourages ideas to solve them. Resistance is a stimulant as much as it is a force to be overcome. It may even motivate the group to do better what it is doing now, so that it does not have to change† (Sullivan, E.J. & Decker, P.J., 2009). Initially change can be successful, but in many cases staff could lose motivation or overlook small glitches in the implemented changes. Through things such as incident reporting, generic occurrence screening, consumer and staff complaints and satisfaction surveys, and formal and informal discussion between managers and staff can evaluate and identify final changes to best benefit staff, management, and the organization as a whole. As a management team it is suggested to always be aware of not only individual organization but also occurring changes in organizations across the nation. By staying informed, the organizations and managers can always promise that there is a constant awareness of potential improvement found in all forms of health care across the nation, ensuring that a problem faced or benefit gained at another facility will never be overlooked. Quality can be greatly affected internally within an organization. Considering that internal factors can be monitored and controlled mainly from within, it is considerably easier to manage, though these factors have a much more direct and immediate effect on the organization where the management responsibility lies. Internal contributors that factor into quality outcomes include leadership styles, administrative policies, and organizational culture. These factors, if not performed to standard or with minimal empathy can cause stress among staff indirectly affecting the consumers. An unpleasant environment may lead to a low morale and dissatisfaction throughout the organization. (Suchman, A., 2001) Above all, management and staff must always have an open mind and an open heart concerning the consumers and the overall benefit of the organizations. Providing services and actually caring for staff are what sets apart the common from the exceptional manager and management team. By implementing these change processes will do just that. The constant change in the healthcare industry defines the role of management teams to assess, plan, implement and evaluate change to ensure satisfaction. Considering this among the other aspects of running a successful organization it is essential to ensure that there is minimal resistance and familiarity to change. â€Å"The capacities to do the redesign work, and to accept the results of the redesign, are perhaps the most important capability an organization can have and value† (Lagace, Martha, 2009). Demands of the consumers and staff as well as regulations are continuously changing. As successful managers it is essential to confidently lead the staff through inevitable change to ensure organizational success. Reference: Lagace, Martha (2009). Management’s Role in Reforming Healthcare. Retrieved from: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6202.html Sollecito, W. A., & Johnson, J. K. (2013). McLaughlin and Kaluzny’s Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Care (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Suchman, A. (2001). National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071231/ Sullivan, E.J. & Decker, P.J. (2009). Effective leadership and management in nursing. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Additional Comments: The paper—including tables and graphs, headings, title page, and reference page—is consistent with APA formatting guidelines and meets course-level requirements. Intellectual property is recognized with in-text citations and a reference page. Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct. The paper does not make effective use of section headings. Total Available Total Earned 20 13.8

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Causes of the French Revolution Essay

An illustration of this is in document figure 11 which has both —– and —– factors from a societal scientific discipline position. This papers shows the members of the national assembly who decided to take a base and vowed to non divide until they made a fundamental law subsequently known as the â€Å"Tennis Court Oath† . This papers truly shows the continuity the people of France had to do life every bit just for both the royals. provincials and everyone in between. As you now know there are many factors that led up to the Gallic Revolution and one of the biggest causes was economic crisis. While the royal household was happy holding banquets the people of France were hungering and many could hardly afford the monetary value of a four pool loaf of staff of life. In document figure 15 it shows how the monetary value of staff of life skyrocketed in merely a year’s clip and how much of a person’s income was spent on staff of life. Not merely was the monetary value hideous but it was the chief component in their diet so they could non travel without it. This papers is a secondary beginning and it shows both political and economic positions in a societal scientific discipline position. Another illustration of economic confusion is in document figure 10. In this papers it shows the fiscal jobs in France during 1789. The economic system was so unhealthy that non merely were the urban common mans in debt the male monarch besides was. When adding up the monetary value of nutrient. rent. tithe. revenue enhancements. and dressing it put the common mans at an amazing 170 % entire. and although it was a lesser sum the male monarch was besides in debt by a humongous 60 % . This papers has both political and economic points and even though it is a secondary beginning it truly makes you believe about how difficult it must hold been for the people to merely last. Throughout history there have been many people who wanted power. to be a leader and stand over others and demo that they are of a greater category. And to the people king Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were seeking to demo their laterality. Political positions have ever been a large portion of society and they were besides a immense subscriber to the start of the Gallic Revolution. Document figure one has a picture for both King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette which clearly shows that they are rich and powerful. As you look at Marie in this image you can see that she had no job paying a monetary value to look beautiful and Louis closet indicates that he has large luxuries and they love to demo it. This papers is a primary beginning and has political. economic. and cultural positions. Another great illustration for a political cause is document figure three. This papers non merely has a political position it besides shows economic. cultural. and psychologically positions in a primary beginning. It talks about the adversities a adult female and her hubby are confronting seeking to run into the demands of the royals. the papers states â€Å"The revenue enhancements and feudal dues are oppressing us. † What sent many people over the border was non being treated reasonably until they eventually snapped.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Transport planning policy article critique Essay

Transport planning policy article critique - Essay Example â€Å"Peak everything† is a phrase that Heinberg and other ecological advocates use to indicate that most finite resources are reaching or will reach exploitation limits and will thereafter only give less and less of the resource at higher and higher cost, but peak oil has achieved special attention. Since every element of the economy needs petrochemicals in production (and not just in factories but also in high-intensity Green Revolution agriculture), consumption, transportation and distribution, peak oil means the end of growth, since every element of the society becomes perpetually more expensive. The connection with transportation is obvious: Transportation must be sustainable if it is to be relevant. Hank Dittmar's Transport and Neighbourhoods (2008), and his earlier collaboration with Ditland (2004), emphasizes sustainability in its approach. Dittmar argues that sustainability will have to be part of a ground-up approach to design. It's meaningless, for example, to make it easier to navigate an inner city without a car if the people who work at the inner city commute from a suburb that is designed for urban sprawl. Dittmar argues for sustainable cities. These cities are characterized by a number of factors: 1. Sustainable transportation and sustainable city design being interlinked 2. ... calls â€Å"the five minute pint†, or the five minute trip to a local pub; this means that it's not just walkability for access to essential institutions like groceries and schools, but also walkability to reasonable centers of entertainment and social interaction 5. Accessible public transportation: A subway is meaningless if it takes a car to get there 6. Market-based strategies 7. Scale of problem demands immediate and technological solutions Dittmar's position as a Prince Foundation urban design analyst does provide his claims with authority and plausibility, but I fear as I look at his analysis that perhaps there is the classic problem of an expert analyzing his own issue. First: Experts tend to reduce everything to their core issue. Second: Experts often can only see things within the theoretical blinders of their own profession. Urban planning and transportation are obviously connected, but it seems naive to think that it's just urban planning and its inaccessibility to non-commuting approaches causes driving issues. There are obviously numerous other factors. Gas and oil subsidies in the West, particularly in America, make it artificially easy to drive cars (Geiger and Hamburger, 2010). In general, public investment into research provides corporations with the means to produce antisocial institutions: Research in general should focus on other factors. There's also a culture of car ownership. Cars are signs of independence, prosperity and masculinity: The purr of a Lamborghini still has great pull even in this increasingly green age. It's possible to design a city where no one needs to drive a car, and people will still prefer to. And the problem is that mass transportation not being sexy means that less people ride, which reduces the number of stops the system

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

US future markets and risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

US future markets and risk management - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to examine futures as risk management techniques companies could use to manage their risks. The paper first of all examines the risks companies are prune too before analyzing how the risks can be solved with futures.Today, bankers are increasingly becoming conscious about recent developments in their respective markets and have resorted into various method of managing risk in bank. Risk management appears to have improved in most sub-regions as a result of the introduction of new approaches in conducting business as well as better measurement and pricing of the various risks (BIS Paper No 33, 2005).According to BIS paper No.33, financial markets are subject to various sources of risk: credit, market, liquidity, operational and legal risks. These risks tend to be more pronounced in the developing world than in developed countries due to a lower level of economic, financial and institutional development.Credit risk tends to be more acute as a result of a lack o f highly rated counterparties. Market and liquidity risks are higher due to thinly traded markets. Operational risks may also be exacerbated because of inadequate human resources or the failure of manual, mechanical or electronic systems to process payments. Finally, legal risk may also be part of the environment (for instance, due to the inability to foreclose on collateral). The next section discusses credit risk and some of its components and how it can be managed.The aim of this paper is to examine futures as risk management techniques companies could use to manage their risks. ... dit risk; this is typically the most important form of risk for commercial banks Shapiro, 2003; Buckley, 1996; Muller and Verschoor, 2005; Solt and Wayne, 2001).Solt & Wayne (2001) argues that, in assessing credit risk, an institution needs to consider three issues: default probabilities over the horizon of the obligation, credit exposure (ie how large the obligation is when the default occurs) and the recovery rate (ie what part of the exposure may be recovered through bankruptcy proceedings or some other form of settlement) (Solt and Wayne, 2001). Credit risk is often difficult to assess due to the lack of information on the credit history and financial position of borrowers, inadequate accounting practices and standards that make it difficult to evaluate credit exposures, macroeconomic volatility and deficiencies in the institutional environment (e.g., political instability) (BIS Paper No.33, 2005). Weak enforcement of creditor rights may also contribute to uncertainty regarding recovery rates. Although many of these factors have been improving in recent years, progress in some cases is slow (Mohanty et al., (2006). Moreno (2006) highlights two key issues related to credit risk that are relevant for emerging market economies (EMEs). First, the distinct increase in the share of credit to the household sector that has been observed in a number of countries could lower credit risk if the concentration of bank assets fell, if consumer credit diversifies risk among a larger number of borrowers. 2.0 Risk Management In management of credit risk, I will focus only on the currency risk exposure aspect of credit risk. That is in a situation where credit is offered in multiple denominations of currency. Currency risk or foreign exchange exposure or better still foreign

Monday, August 26, 2019

'The significance of Wang Kar-wai's films often derives from their Essay

'The significance of Wang Kar-wai's films often derives from their coplex and highly creative treatment of time.' Discuss using detailed examples from Chungking - Essay Example To understand how Wong achieved this cult status and why certain elements of his films such as time bear significance, it is important to discuss the history from which he grew as they are both linked. Collaborating with well known directors such as Patrick Tam in the early 1980’s, writing scripts and assisting in direction, Wong learnt from his masters and established himself as one of the second new wave of Hong Kong filmmakers living at a time when issues such as Hong Kong’s transfer to China were foremost. Back in 1984 when the Sino-British agreement was drawn charting a plan to handover Hong Kong to mainland China, the uncertainty surrounding this issue forced Hong Kong’s residents as well as its filmmakers to examine this subject in depth. Rather than condemning the take over, the filmmakers sought to explore this previously un-chartered subject, seeking to introspect instead of criticizing. This was the moment when Hong Kong cinema matured and carried forward to the second new wave of filmmakers. In his films Wong essentially captures the cultural identity of Hong Kong which was dual in nature. â€Å"The cinema of Hong Kong reflects this notion of a du al identity, combining to create a third, localised identity (Wright 2002).† This duality arose from Hong Kong’s close proximity to China whose cultural identity is vastly different and bore a significant impact to Hong Kong. But Hong Kong’s history of being associated with western culture, absorbing the western way of free life, gave it a new identity which tried to mingle and sit well with its old identity. And Hong Kong films particularly from directors such as Wong Kar-wai, echo this dual identity. â€Å"Hong Kong released a few art films that found their way into film festivals. Chungking Express (1994) directed by Wong Kar-wai, became a cult hit (Bordwell 2000).† Hong Kong cinema is both a popular cinema and a cinema of auteurs

Lean Principles and Applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Lean Principles and Applications - Essay Example Principles of lean evolved in the above context. â€Å"LEAN IS†¦ A mindset, or way of thinking, with a commitment to achieve a totally waste-free operation that’s focused on your customer’s success†¦.† (Principles of Lean Thinking, 2004, p.2). Lean principles can be illustrated as follows: (Principles Of Lean, 2009) Wrap-it Company manufactures and distributes plastic wrapping machines for industrial use, selling them within the UK and the near continent. Automatic stretch wrappers, shrink wrap tunnels and straddle wrappers are some of the wrapping materials produced by Wrap-it Company. Value identification is the first step of implementing lean principles in an organization. Value identification process should â€Å"Specify value from the standpoint to the end customer by product family† (Principles Of Lean, 2009). There is no point in packing certain materials in good condition at the packing units if the packing fails during transit or while r eaching the customer. The risks involved during transit should be reduced as much as possible which is the duty of an effective plastic wrapping system. If stretch wrapping fails to contain a load during transit, sustainability gains in primary packaging are instantly wiped out. Loads get to their destination with less risk – looking better than ever – with less tweaking and hassle – with up to 30% less film – and at an overall lower net cost (lantech.com, 2012 ) It should be noted that accumulation of plastic is causing huge problems to the environment. Under such circumstances, it is the duty of Wrap-it Company to produce only environmental friendly or biodegradable plastic wrapping materials as part of value creation in the market. Current consumers are giving more importance to socially committed companies and hence environmental friendly plastic wrapping material production may definitely increase the reputation of the company in the market. In short wrap it management should think in terms of restructuring the whole operations inside the company to increase the value of the company in domestic and international market. Mapping of the value stream is the second step in implementing lean principles. Plenty of unnecessary processes and operations are going on in most of the organizations like Wrap-it Company. Processes which brought enormous value in the past would be useless at present because of the advancements in technology and changes in the business world. For example, the entry of computers brought huge changes in the organizational world. There are plenty of organizations which keep typewriters even now. Same way, many organizations have the habit of relying on less efficient manual work when more efficient machineries are available for certain jobs. It is necessary for Warp it Company to â€Å"Identify all the steps in the value stream for each product family, eliminating whenever possible those steps that do not create value† (Principles Of Lean, 2009). Creating flow is the third step in implementing lean principles. Value creation should be done in all departments simultaneously so that the end product will flow smoothly towards the customer or destination. It should be noted that plenty of departments were involved in the production and delivery of certain goods. If any of the departments involved in the production and delivery system fails to operate properly, value created at the top level may not flow properly towards the bottom level. Imagine a company is producing high quality goods. If these products

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Communication in Economics(Econ 479) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication in Economics(Econ 479) - Essay Example Some nations have put in place strict rules in the retirement plans with the intention of ensuring that the wellbeing of the citizens is secured even after they come out of employment. This is the argument which David Harrison raises in the article. The article reports that there is need for more reforms to be initiated so that people are not permitted to withdraw the money prior to reaching the eligibility age. The suggestion in the article is valid but may not be hopeful in dealing with the retirement and financial issues facing employees today. Americans should be allowed to continue benefiting from their retirement account funds when need arises. What needs to be done is the formulation and enactment of procedures and policies that will help in striking a balance between the current financial needs which force them to use their retirement funds and the needs they will have to meet when they are out of employment. One major reason why I believe that should be allowed to choose when to use their retirement funds is the fact that most employees still find themselves in difficult financial situations because of the prevailing economic conditions. Factors such as economic recession have directly affected the financial stability of most Americans. At times, employees are faced with heavy financial needs which in one way or the other affect their wellbeing and even their productivity. Without the flexibility in the rules, some people will not be able to meet their financial needs. Needs like medical bills, eviction and foreclosure of a person residences makes it necessary for workers to look for immediate sources of funds (Ezra, Collie and Smith 58). Claims have been made that there are other avenues through which people can meet their financial obligations. However, some of the available options like loans from banks may apply only to those who still have more years in employment. The flexible

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Essay Questions - Texas Jurisdiction Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questions - Texas Jurisdiction - Essay Example trust likewise contains no clause authorizing the bank to take possession of the mortgaged property, the only remedy afforded the bank in the Deed of Trust is the nonjudicial foreclosure it bargained for. Lighthouse Church Of Cloverleaf v. Texas Bank, 889 S.W.2d 595 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist] 1994). After the debt secured by a deed of trust has matured, by acceleration or otherwise, the mortgagee may, in accordance with  § 51.002 of the Property Code and the deed of trust, foreclose on real property by nonjudicial sale. This chapter discusses the foreclosure sale of real property in Texas—what it is, what its prerequisites are, and what its consequences may be. Repossession of real estate cannot be compared to repossession of personal property. Repossession of personal property is governed by Chapter 9 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann.  §Ã‚ § 9.101 et seq. (Vernon 1991). Chapter 9 specifically creates the right to self-help repossession. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann.  § 9.503 (Vernon 1991). Real estate is specifically excluded from the scope of that chapter. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann.  § 9.104(10) (Vernon 1991). Thus, Chapter 9 does not give creditors a right to repossess real estate in the same way they repossess personal property. Lighthouse Church Of Cloverleaf v. Texas Bank, 889 S.W.2d 595 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist] 1994). Questions concerning title to real estate, the validity of conveyances, warranties, and foreclosures are determined by the law of the situs. Pellow v. Cade, 990 S.W.2d 307 (Tex.App.—Texarkana 1999), rehg overruled, (Mar. 19, 1999). A person must bring suit for the recovery of real property under a real property lien or the foreclosure of a real property lien, including a voluntary mechanics or materialmans lien, no later than four years after the day the cause of action accrues. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann.  § 16.035(a). Voluntary mechanics and materialmans liens on real estate, securing a note

Friday, August 23, 2019

House-Keeping Management in Hotels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

House-Keeping Management in Hotels - Assignment Example It is crucial to highlight that customers, especially, look for an environment that provides a fantasy feeling, which the average home environment may not promise (Penner, Adams,& Rutes 2013, p. 112). In planning and managing a four-star beachfront hotel, several issues should be considered. To begin with, it is crucial to assess the level of customer traffic in the area around a beach. In this sense, the hotel gauges the number of customers that it attracts on a daily basis. This allows for the hotel to plan its resources and investment according to the expected number of customers. The planners should also consider the impact and size of attractions surrounding a beachfront hotel (Chon & Maier 2010, p. 98). This is because customers are not merely drawn to the outlook and quality of services in a hotel, but they also value the marginal feeling of enjoying other forms of fun that a surrounding offers (Rogers 2013, p. 143). For instance, customers may be attracted to a nearby forest that allows for bird watching. Management of rural hotel situated within a national park demands given operational and management needs. To begin with, the management should link the services of the hotel with the elements of the park (Rao, & Krishna 2005, p. 164). This occurs since the number of revenues of such a hotel may majorly depend on the aggregate utility derived from visiting the park. For instance, the management could design the hotel in such a sense that the accommodation rooms allow for comfortable and picturesque sightseeing. In addition, the hotel must participate in day-to-day management of the national park such that they retain the level of utility derived from the park. There are notable sales techniques that can be employed in improving sales. For instance, marketing is an essential tool for enhancing sales (Piotrowski, & Rogers 2007, p. 76).  

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Legally Blonde Essay Example for Free

Legally Blonde Essay Stereotypes are assumptions made about a group of people based on commonalities shared among that group. These assumptions normally have to do with religion, ethnicity, cultural values, and even outward appearances. One of the common reasons stereotypes exist is that it is easy to identify individuals without interacting with them. A person can identify a face and immediately categorize him or her based on information derived from upbringing, past experiences, and the media. Some labels have the capability of harming individuals who are judged based on appearances or nationality. These stereotypes can lead to the mistreatment and prejudices against a particular group of people. For example, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a religious group called the Sihks have been attacked on numerous occasions because they were mislabeled as terrorists (NPR). Stereotyping can start at a young age when children are taught to make assumptions. For example, a mother will caution her child not to talk to any strangers. This can lay a foundation for future stereotypes. The child may grow up to be a person who stereotypes and who is prejudice. The child may not know that the assumptions being made rarely apply to each member of a group. Even though there are examples of dumb blondes, many intelligent blondes do exist. Diane Sawyer is a prominent figure in the world of news. In 1984, she broke new ground as the first woman to work as a correspondent on the award-winning news magazine 60 Minutes (Bio. True Story). She also has blonde hair. This proves that stereotypes do not apply to everyone of a certain group. Some common examples of stereotypes are people who wear glasses are nerds or all Asians are very intelligent. One of the most commonly known stereotype is the dumb blonde persona. It has been presented in film, music and even in literature. Not only is the blonde stereotype being represented in the media, but also in marketing. There is a shampoo made by Bed Head called Dumb Blonde. The blonde’s label states that the lack of intelligence is based on hair color. This leads the blonde to be depicted to rely on looks rather than intelligence to be successful in life. Many jokes are made based on the stereotype as well. An example is â€Å"What do you call a fly buzzing inside a blondes head? A Space Invader. † (Cracked. com). In the sitcom Three’s Company, a blonde character named Chrissy is ditzy and gets a lot of attention from many groups of men. She is easy to confuse and is quick to fall for men. The media takes the blonde label and dramatizes it with the persona of Chrissy. One of the most famous blondes that seems to fit the stereotype is Paris Hilton. She has been quoted as saying many outrageous statements such as, â€Å"I don’t really think, I just walk. † (Brainy Quote). She is successful at exploiting the dumb blonde persona. Another statement said by Hilton is, â€Å"I get half a million just to show up at parties. My life is, like, really, really fun. † (Brainy Quote). Hilton uses her dumb blonde character in order to get farther in life. With an in depth look into Paris Hilton it may be found that she possesses more intelligence than what she portrays. It is known that she is an American heiress, socialite, television personality, fashion designer, model, actress, producer, author, and singer. Paris Hilton is a good example of the dumb blonde. She gives people the idea that all blondes are like her, when in reality, they are not. From the sitcom Three’s Company in 1977, to the rich and famous Hollywood star Paris Hilton, the dumb blonde can be found almost anywhere. However, the media is taking small steps to counter represent the blonde. In the 2001 movie Legally Blonde, the main character Elle Woods evolves from the stereotypical blonde to a Harvard Law graduate. In the beginning, she was the president of her sorority, had a pet Chihuahua and majored in fashion merchandising. She states, Two weeks ago I saw Cameron Diaz at Fred Segal, and I talked her out of buying this truly heinous angora sweater. Whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed! (Legally Blonde). She then applied to Harvard Law School with an application video that showed her in a bikini with her and her friends. Surprisingly, she was immediately accepted and later graduated with high honors. In Legally Blonde, Elle displays her intelligence by solving a murder in an unconventional way. This movie does show the classic stereotypes of blondes in the beginning but then turns it around to make the blonde an intelligent honors student who goes on to be a successful attorney. Stereotypes can be stopped by preventing assumptions or getting to know someone instead of pre-judging them. It should be understood that stereotypes rarely apply to everyone of that group. The media can reduce stereotypes by ignoring them instead of marketing them. By making characters who portray their stereotype, audiences come to believe that the label applies to everyone in a particular group. If the stereotype is not represented at all, it can help the general public forget that stereotypes ever existed. Everyone has the capability of putting stereotypes to rest, it is just a matter of having an open mind. An example can be set to others and soon stereotypes will come to an end. Works Cited â€Å"Diane Sawyer. † Bio. True Story. Web. 3 August 2013. Inskeep, Steve. â€Å"Sikhs Face More Attacks Since Sept. 11 Tragedies. † NPR. Web. 3 August 2013 Legally Blonde. Dir. Robert Luketic. 2001. Film. Paris Hilton Quotes. Brainy Quote. Web. 4 August 2013.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Big Apple Moments Essay Example for Free

Big Apple Moments Essay Description John Marshalls Big Apple Moments is reflective of Marshalls ability to capture a busy New York City. There are various travel cards in the foreground as a narrow alley bears off to the right and a busy street to the left. There are skyscrapers depicted on both sides of the painting. A little off center to the right is a silhouette of a couple. Upper right two thirds of painting is a green park with trees and a wide open path. Upper left one third is blue sky over skyscrapers with some printing over laying the blue sky. All of these components come together in John Marshalls Big Apple Moments. Formal Analysis Marshall creates a collage of several images to depict New York City. He draws you through two different New Yorks – one distant and one up close. The up close is about two thirds of the right side of the painting. The distant New York takes one third of the left side of the painting. A darkened view on the right of the painting. This area is very gray and shadowed. More detail is seen in the buildings and sidewalks on the right side of the painting. At the top of the paintings right side is a green open park with a wide path and sun light. The view on the left is brighter – and the buildings are more distant. The buildings seem to be lit with a bright sun and a blue sky is seen at the top of the left scene. The center of the painting is the silhouette of people. At the forefront of the painting is a Metro card and a ticket stub. Marshall uses a lot of darkened colors and nothing is defined with clean sharp lines. Interpretation Big Apple Moments begins with the ticket stubs. On the right side is an up close look of the city. A narrow street, a detailed ticket stub, and a cluttered side walk – they all bring the visitor to a close encounter with the Big Apple. A long street with a closed in feeling. Yet at the end of the street – on the top part of the painting is the green open park for the travelers oasis on this journey through New York City. On the left side of the painting – the visitor is more distant from the city. The feeling on this side of the painting is the visitor is just passing through. The two billboards seen at the tops of two buildings state clearly â€Å"The Journey† and there is â€Å"Parking Available† if you want to stop. The silhouetted figures in the center could be any traveler in the Big Apple. These figures are also open to viewer interpretation. Is it two people – one looking at the left and one on the right? Each with their own agendas? Or is this a couple – man and woman – together just enjoying the city – whether it be passing through or to see the town up close and personal? Judgment John Marshall succeeded with this work – and this title. Big Apple Moments. He captures the activity of the city, the variance of the Big Apple. He does so with subtle clues as to what the city is like. The city is to any person who visits there – whatever they want it to be. Some go to pass through and see the post card sites. Some go for a personal encounter with the culture of the city. Marshall goes so far as to paint the white lines on the road – not as a straight dotted line – but in angling different directions. Some sharp left, some sharp right, some slightly point one way or another, yet none are straight. That is because the city is open to individual experiences. Does the visitor want to do this or do that? Does the visitor want to go this way – or go that way? No matter what the visitor decides – there is that calmness of New York City. Whether that calmness be found in a taxi ride down a wide avenue – or at a serene park at the end of a hectic visit through and up close view of the Big Apple. There is not right or wrong way to see it. You just have to feel it – so grab a Metro Card – and lets go.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Squash Agility In Season Training Physical Education Essay

Squash Agility In Season Training Physical Education Essay Introduction Squash is a sport which is played by 2 individuals and sometimes played in doubles. The game is played in a 4 walled court sometimes made of glass, and uses a hollow rubber ball, which can be changed depending on the skill level of the player and the colour dot used/ ball type. Squash is a high intensity fitness sport and is not for the faint hearted, this sport places high demands on the energy systems of the body namely the aerobic and anaerobic systems. As squash is a sport which involves the movement of the entire body it is import to condition the body in order to produce the best results. Squash not only relies on the energy systems, but the players ability to reach any part of the court at any given time to play the ball, then get back to the T which is the most dominant position on the court, this is because from the T to any position on the court is shortest distance covered and thus you would have the upper hand against your opponent. Other demands are also placed on the pl ayers such as the ability to change direction quickly while maintaining dynamic balance; this is otherwise known as agility. Agility is very import in squash, in fact without it squash would be next to impossible, the more agile an individual the more likely them being able to retrieve a ball anywhere on the court at any given time. In order to be a successful squash player you need to have a varied training program, variety is the best way in order to improve as the body is placed under stress continually and never gets time to adapt. Us as humans have the ability to adapt quickly thus the muscles and training methods need to follow this trend, sticking to the same training trend will lead to a plateau and will decrease training performance as well as match performance, as said earlier. Agility is an important part of squash and in this assignment I plan to approach it in a way in which an in season training program will produce the best results for a squash player, finding the right balance between all the aspects that make up the game is key. Agility is made up of four main components and they are balance; the ability of the squash player to maintain balance while moving in any direction; speed, the ability of the squash player to move any part of their body at any given time quickly; strength, the ability of the muscles or the muscle groups to overcome the resistance applied to them and finally co-ordination, the ability to control the movement of the body in co-operation with the bodys sensory functions, an example of this would be using the racket to hit the ball while running in a sideways direction. All of these four aspects can be improved by developing weekly training programs which incorporate drills that are effective and efficient enough to produce the required results depending on the season training which in the case of this assignment is an In season agility training approach. Chapter 2: Physiology Energy Systems During physical fitness training for squash we train and recruit the two energy systems because squash is considered as a whole body activity, squash is a sport that demands a high levels of aerobic fitness as well anaerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance can be sub-divided as follows: Short anaerobic less than 25 seconds (mainly alactic) Medium anaerobic 25 seconds to 60 seconds (mainly lactic) Long anaerobic 60 seconds to 120 seconds (lactic +aerobic) These energy systems are crucial in the athletes ability to perform during high intensity matches, as well as weekly training program developed to improve overall fitness. During exercise the energy for muscular contractions is provided by these energy systems, which are the Aerobic and Anaerobic systems. Aerobic Energy System The term aerobic means in the presence or with oxygen, how it works is that the aerobic energy systems uses oxygen to produce energy, from the metabolic breakdown of fats as well as carbohydrates. The aerobic energy system is located in the mitochondria of the cell muscle fibre itself. These mitochondria are cellular energy factories if to say that are designed to make metabolism more effective and efficient and thus in turn synthesize or breakdown carbohydrates and fats as stated before to produce energy in the form of ATP. Energy cannot be created or destroyed but merely transformed from one form to another, thus the energy from the oxygen present is used to transform carbohydrates and fats into ATP. ATP or otherwise known as Adenosine Triphosphate is a nucleotide which is derived from adenosine that occurs in muscle tissue. ATP is the major source of energy for cellular reactions, and is thus a very important compound in terms of human survival. During the metabolic breakdown of carbohydrates and fats in the presence of oxygen in the aerobic system, the process yields 36 units of ATP which is said to be very efficient; this process is known as the Krebs Cycle. During training for squash or during squash matches the aerobic energy pathways utilize energy sources to provide the ATP required for specific muscle groups to contract effectively over long periods of time. These energy pathways are more efficient than the anaerobic pathways, as they get more energy from each molecule of glucose that is synthesized. In aerobic energy system , endurance trained muscle contains more intramuscular fat and highly trained endurance muscles are better suited to use fat as an energy source during exercise. Although this is only true to an extent, due to the fact that fat requires large amounts of oxygen for it to be synthesized efficiently, during high intensity exercise oxygen becomes limited and the burning of this fat is not viable, so the body has to look for other forms of energy to keep producing the muscular contractions required to perform the exercise. Fibre type In the aerobic energy system there are fibres in the muscle which are specific to this system and these fibres are known as slow twitch fibres. These slow twitch fibres generate energy for ATP re-synthesis by means of a long term system of aerobic energy transfer. They tend to have a low activity level of ATPase, a slower speed of contraction with a less well developed glycolytic capacity. They contain large and numerous mitochondria and with the high levels of myoglobin that gives them a red pigmentation. They have been demonstrated to have high concentration of mitochondrial enzymes, thus they are fatigue resistant. In the aerobic energy system you have two types of main fibres and they are: Type I Red fibres Slow oxidative fibres (also called slow twitch or fatigue resistant fibres). These fibres allow squash players to partake in long intense games which can last for over an hour, thus providing aerobic endurance to these players. Their production is utilized after about 90 seconds of any given activity, thus after the anaerobic energy systems resources have been fully utilized These fibres Contain: Large amounts of myoglobin present. Many mitochondria. Many blood capillaries. Generate ATP by the aerobic system, hence the term oxidative fibres. Split ATP at a slow rate. Slow contraction velocity. Resistant to fatigue. Found in large numbers in postural muscles. Needed for aerobic activities, or long rallies in a squash match which can last a few minutes over the time that the anaerobic system can provide energy for(90 seconds or longer), thus revealing why these fibres are known for endurance. Type II a Red fibres Fast oxidative (also called fast twitch A or semi fatigue resistant fibres). These fibres Contain: Large amounts of Myoglobin. Many mitochondria. Many blood capillaries. A High capacity for generating ATP by oxidation. Split ATP at a very rapid rate and, hence, high contraction velocity. Resistant to fatigue but not as much as slow oxidative fibres. Needed for the transition between the anaerobic phase and aerobic phase, utilized between 25 and 89 seconds (so after the type II B fibres are fatigued, and before the type I fibres become utilized) Anaerobic Energy System The anaerobic system derives its energy from the breakdown of carbohydrates without the need of oxygen (or due to the lack of oxygen present in the metabolic pathways) to synthesize the reactions taking place hence the term anaerobic meaning no oxygen present or lack of it. The anaerobic system provides an athlete with the energy we require at the start of an exercise with the initial increase in pace for example. This energy source however is not sufficient enough to last for long periods of time through the exercise and soon as this initial energy is expended the aerobic energy system takes over as the primary ATP provider for the sport specific muscular contractions. The anaerobic system is limited and very inefficient; thus it is said to waste vast amounts of expended energy in the process. This system relies on the breakdown of stored compounds in order to produce the energy required upon request. These energy compounds are very high in energy and are often in limited supply in the human body, thus explaining as to why anaerobic effort is very intense and can only be sustained for brief periods at any given time. The energy system also makes use of stored glycogen in the muscle, this glycogen when synthesized only produces a small amount of ATP, one of the down sides of this is the metabolic waste product called lactic acid, this process of the breakdown of glycogen to lactic acid is known as anaerobic glycolysis and is one of the two ways of deriving energy in this type of system the other form of attaining this energy is known as short term energy supply in which ATP stores are briefly broken down. In the short term energy supply ATP is split into ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) releasing the energy required for muscle contraction this way or means of attaining energy is very brief and once this supply is drained the body resorts to anaerobic glycolysis. Anaerobic glycolysis is a term which is used for the nonoxidative breakdown of glycogen found in the muscles. Glycogen is a clump if to say of stored glucose molecules located in the muscles themselves. This form of attaining energy for muscular contraction on tap comes at a cost, as stated earlier on; it is very inefficient and wastes energy, for every glucose molecule broken down this process only yields 3 units of ATP and as a result gives lactic acid off as a by product as stated earlier . Fibre type A fast twitch fibre is one in which the myosin can split ATP very quickly and is associated with the anaerobic energy system. Fast twitch fibres also demonstrate a higher capability for electrochemical transmission of action potentials and a rapid level of calcium release and uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The fast twitch fibres rely on a well developed, short term, glycolytic system for energy transfer and can contract and develop tension at 2-3 times the rate of slow twitch fibres. Type II b White Fast glycolytic (also called fast twitch B or easy fatigable fibres). These fibres Contain: Low myoglobin content. Few mitochondria. Few blood capillaries. Large amount of glycogen. Split ATP very quickly. Fatigue easily. Needed for squash in short sprints to different parts of the court, and explosiveness, Type 2B fibres are utilized from 0 to 24 seconds, but this time is also dependant on the intensity of the sprint (i.e. if the intensity increases the time will decrease). Lactic acid Lactic acid is produced during anaerobic effort, mainly from a process mentioned earlier called anaerobic glycolysis, or when the oxygen supply is limited on demand. Lactic acid accumulates in the muscle and affects the ability of that muscle to perform at its full potential thus fatiguing it if to say. Lactic acid changes the ph in the muscle fibre itself, therefore reducing the overall enzyme activity and ATP production in the aerobic pathways spoken about earlier. Lactic acid is also said to reduce the contractile force of each individual muscle fibre. After exercise this lactic acid accumulation disappears quickly, as the body has its systems which remove this by product, if one were to engage in an active recovery it would also increase the removal time of lactic acid in the muscles. By squash players training their aerobic system more efficiently it helps to preserve the anaerobic system. It also reduces the recovery time of the anaerobic pathways and removal of lactic acid and its conversion back into pyruvate molecules, which could then be utilized by the aerobic pathways. Lactate Lactate simply put is a salt formed from lactic acid, this occurs when the acid rapidly loses it hydrogen ions and these ions combine with sodium and even sometimes potassium to form a compound known as lactate. Lactate threshold Lactate threshold is known to represent a transition zone that involves increasing dependence on anaerobic energy pathways. Lactate threshold basically defines ones bodys ability to clear lactic acid from the muscle as well as blood more rapidly and the transition zone that involves increasing lactate production resulting from the overall recruitment of fast glycolytic muscle fibres. Sharkey, Gaskill (2006) Chapter 3: Training Program This assignment aims at producing an effective and efficient 4 week agility In-season training program. The term In-Season refers to the peak performance period, during this period training for squash with regards to all the fitness components continues with a high intensity to maintain all the aspects as spoken earlier that squash players require, such as the four components of agility, but there is an overall reduction in total training volume so that players do not fatigue and can be at the peak level of performance for when they really need it which is during match time. Agility Drills Lateral Change of Direction Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Three cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: Place the first cone on the half court line, place the second to the right close to the wall and the other close to the wall on the left hand side (The top of the T on the squash court) as seen in the diagram below: The squash player starts at the middle cone (where the vertical line meets the horizontal line forming the T) The Coach gives the signal to start and points in a specific direction, right or left The player moves to and touches the first cone, returns past the middle cone (start) to the far cone and touches that one and then returns to the middle cone, touching that one. The coach starts the stopwatch on giving the Go command and stops the watch when the athlete touches the middle cone. The better of the two trails in each starting direction, right and left, are recorded and the best score in each direction is used for scoring. T-Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Four cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: Set out four cones as illustrated in the diagram above (With B being the cone at the centre of the T on the court). The subject starts at cone A. On the command of the timer, the subject sprints to cone B and touches the base of the cone with their right hand. They then turn left and shuffle sideways to cone C, and also touches its base, this time with their left hand. Then shuffling sideways to the right to cone D and touching the base with the right hand. They then shuffle back to cone B touching with the left hand, and run backwards to cone A. The stopwatch is stopped as they pass cone A. Illinois Agility Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Eight cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: Set the squash court up as shown in the above picture. The length of the course is 10 meters and the width (distance between the start and finish points) is 5 meters. Four cones are used to mark the start, finish and the two turning points. Another four cones are placed down the centre an equal distance apart. Each cone in the centre is spaced 3.3 meters apart. Subjects should lie on their front (head to the start line) and hands by their shoulders. On the Go command the stopwatch is started, and the athlete gets up as quickly as possible and runs around the course in the direction indicated, without knocking the cones over, to the finish line, at which the timing is stopped. Box Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Four cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: Four marker cones are placed 10 yards apart in a square configuration (see diagram above). The player starts by getting down in a three-point stance next to Cone 1. On the command Go, he sprints to cone 2, and then shuffles sideways to cone 3. From there you back-pedal to cone 4 and finish by turning and sprinting through and finishing at cone 1. The athlete must go around the outside of each cone. Agility Compass Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Five cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: The cones are laid out as per the diagram (on the squash court), with four marker cones placed in a diamond shape, and one in the middle (placed on the centre of the T). The outer cones are each placed 3 meters from the centre. The player crouches behind and with their left hand on the middle cone, facing forwards (towards cone 5). The player then turns and runs to the right and touches the cone (2) with their hand. They then turn back and run to the centre cone, out to the next cone (3), back to the centre, out to the next cone (4), back to the centre and then finally turn and finish by running through the finish line at cone 5. The player is required to touch the cone with their hand at each turn. Timing starts when the hand comes off the centre cone, and stops when the chest passes through the line of the final cone. Rest for three minutes, then repeat the drill, moving in the opposite direction (counter clockwise, cones in order 1-4-3-2-5) Zig Zag Agility Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Five cones Stop watch Assistant 4 3 2 1 C How to conduct the drill: Place one cone at the centre of the T of the court , then place one cone in each corner of the court allowing enough space for the player to run around it (See above diagram).This drill requires the player to run a course in the shortest possible time. A standard Zig Zag course is with four cones placed on the corners of a rectangle formed by the court, with one more cone placed in the centre. If the cones are labelled 1(start/finish cone) to 4 around the rectangle going along the longer side first, and the centre cone is C, the test begins at 1, then to C, 2, 3, C, 4, then back to 1. Court Sprints Agility Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Four cones Stop watch Assistant C B A Starting /finished Position How to conduct the drill: Place the starting cone at the middle of the T on the court; place another cone directly in front of it by the tin board (Cone A in the diagram above), place another cone (Cone B in diagram) in the corner of the left hand service area, place the final cone (Cone C in the diagram) at the back wall of the court. The player must start at the starting position, as seen on the diagram, upon the word go the stopwatch is started, the player sprints to the wall, upon reaching cone the player remains facing in the forward direction for the entire drill, and then back tracks to the starting position, player then sprints to cone A, back tracks to cone B, sprints to cone A, back tracks to cone c, the sprints to the finishing/Starting position again. This drill must be completed in the fastest time possible with maximal intensity. Figure 8 sprinting Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Five cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: This agility drill involves very short bursts of speed followed by sudden changes in direction and is one of the best in simulating the movements on a squash court. From the start position, the athlete will sprint to the centre cone (which is placed on the centre of the T), go around it and then sprint to cone 2 (placed near to the right wall of the court). This is repeated for all 4 cones rounding the centre cone after each outside cone until the player returns to the starting position (See above Diagram). 6 Point Agility Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Six cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: They key with this drill is that is involves multiple directional changes. Sprint to cone 1 and return Sprint to cone 2 and return Sprint to cone 3 Side-step from cone 3 to cone 4 Side-step from cone 4 to cone 5 Side-step from cone 5 to cone 3 Back peddle from cone 3 back to the starting position Double T-Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Seven cones Stop watch Assistant How to conduct the drill: Place one cone on the T, this is your centre cone, place one cone to the far right close to the wall in line with the cone on the T, do this on the other side as well. Now place another cone toward the back wall in line with the middle cone. Now place a second row of cones in line with those at the top of the T towards the front wall giving the player enough space to move. (See Above Diagram) This drill is similar to the T drill, there is just another row of cones, the drill is conducted in the same way as the T drill, just adding on an extra row once the player has completed the extra row they must back pedal all the way to the start/finish (Black arrows, then blue arrows, then finally the red arrows) Star Drill Requirements: Flat surface of the squash court Seven cones Stop watch Assistant G C F D E B A How to conduct the drill: Set court up as shown in the following diagram above. Player starts at A then runs to B, plays a shot, then back tracks back to the T point A on the diagram. Player then runs to point C, plays a shot then back tracks back to A again; however for cones F and G its a sprint there and shot played then side step back to the T. Player completes drill in cone order, upon reaching cone D player side steps, plays a shot, then side steps back to point A again, same applies for cone E. This exercise is done as quickly as possible. 4 Week In-Season Agility Program Before each daily Agility training session be sure to engage in a Squash specific dynamic warm up exercises, and upon completing the daily program be sure to engage in a cool down, including static stretches to conserve and increase muscle flexibility. For every agility drill, start in the ready position: feet shoulder-width apart; ankles, knees, and hips flexed in a quarter-squat position; head and shoulders slightly forward with hips and ankles in a straight line. Keep knees and hips flexed and your centre of gravity over the feet. The body cannot move quickly when it is standing straight up. From this position, you are ready to move in any direction and can hold this position if bumped from any angle. This ready position is the most efficient position for moving and reacting. For each training session, please refer to section of Agility Drills, to attain the layout of the drill as well as drill description and execution. Week 1 Day: 1 Agility Drill: Lateral Change of direction Variation: Place rubber band from one ankle to the other, to encourage side stepping movement Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 2 minutes non stop Rest Time: 1 minute 30 seconds Repeat: 2 times (Total drill count = 3) Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: T-Drill Variation: Timed T drill, player has 1 minute to complete as many Ts as possible, 1 T is counted when player returns to cone A(starting position) Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 1 minute Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: Star Drill Variation: (playing a shot while working on agility) as player reaches cone they play a shot before returning back to cone A at the T Intensity: 90% HR Max Time: As fast as possible Repeat: 3 Times Rest period: 90 seconds between drills Day: 2 Agility Drill: Illinois Agility Drill Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Rest Time: 30 seconds between drills Repeat: 3 times Rest for 1 minute Agility Drill: Box Drill Variation: Timed minute, continue drill till time is up Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 1 minute (Timed) Repeat: 3 Times Rest period: 45 seconds between drills Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: Double T-Drill Variation: (playing a shot while working on agility) as player reaches cone they play a shot while completing the drill Intensity: 70% HR Max Time: As fast as possible, with respect to intensity Repeat: 3 times Rest period: 30 seconds between drills Week 2 Day: 1 Agility Drill: Court sprints Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Rest Time: 1 minute Repeat: 3 times Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: 6 Point Agility Drill Variation: Play a shot upon reaching each cone Intensity: High intensity (80% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Repeat: 3 Times Rest time: 30 seconds Day: 2 Agility Drill: Agility Compass Drill Variation: Play a shot upon reaching each cone Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Rest Time: 45 seconds between drills Repeat: 3 times Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: Zig Zag Drill Variation: Run as far as you can in 1 minute Intensity: High intensity (80% HR Max) Time: 1 minute (Timed) Repeat: 2 Times Rest period: 1 minute 30 seconds between drills Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: Figure 8 Sprinting Drill Intensity: 90% HR Max Time: As fast as possible Repeat: 3 times Rest period: 1 minute between drills Week 3 Day: 1 Agility Drill: Lateral Change of direction Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 1 minute non stop Rest Time: 30 seconds Repeat: 2 times (Total drill count = 3) Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: T-Drill Variation: Timed T drill, player has 1 minute 30 seconds to complete as many Ts as possible, 1 T is counted when player returns to cone A(starting position) Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 1 minute 30 seconds Rest for 2 minutes Star Drill: Variation: (playing a shot while working on agility) as player reaches cone they play a shot before returning back to cone A at the T Intensity: 90% HR Max Time: As fast as possible Repeat: 3 Times Rest period: 90 seconds between drills Day: 2 Agility Drill: Illinois Agility Drill Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Rest Time: 30 seconds between drills Repeat: 3 times Rest for 1 minute Agility Drill: Box Drill Variation: Timed minute, continue drill till time is up Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: 1 minute 30 seconds (Timed) Repeat: 3 Times Rest period: 45 seconds between drills Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: Double T-Drill Variation: (playing a shot while working on agility) as player reaches cone they play a shot while completing the drill Intensity: 90% HR Max Time: As fast as possible Repeat: 3 times Rest period: 30 seconds between drills Week 4 Day: 1 Agility Drill: Court sprints Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Rest Time: 1 minute 30 seconds Repeat: 4 times Rest for 2 minutes Agility Drill: 6 Point Agility Drill Variation: Play a shot upon reaching each cone Intensity: High intensity (90% HR Max) Time: Fast as possible Repeat: 4 Times Rest time: 30 seconds Day: 2 Agility Drill: Agility Compass Drill Variation: Play a shot upon reaching each cone Intensity: High intensity (65% HR Max) Time:

Monday, August 19, 2019

Computers Modulator Demodulators (Modems) are used to change the analogue :: Computer Science

Computers Modulator Demodulators (Modems) are used to change the analogue to digital and the other way around Analogue to Digital Conversion Matt Davey Analogue to Digital Conversion is the way of converting a continous analogue signal to a series of digital binary numbers. This is done in many pieces of hardware by taking samples of the analogue signal and then each sample is digitised into a binary code by a microchip. This process is known as Quantization a process where a continuous signal is converted to a series of points at discrete levels. This process is specific to the music industry. In Computers Modulator Demodulators (Modems) are used to change the analogue to digital and the other way around. The modem uploads data to the Internet by converting it to an analogue signal and broadcasting it through the phone line, then when downloading it converts the analogue signal to binary 1’s and 0’s. The analogue wave is created by vibrations in the sound the waveform today is usually recorded into digital format by an Analogue Digital Converter (ADC). The Waveform is turned into a stream of numbers and the ADC records the numbers and feeds them through the speakers. In the computer world a modem is commonly used to connect to the largest Wide area network the internet. The modem uses ASCII Code to translate the waveform to the computer and then back to waveform to translate it and broadcast it over the phone line again. This was thought to be irreverent when ISDN came in because ISDN was a digital network but this didn’t take off because of the price and the work involved in setting one up but speeds of an ISDN reached 128kbps this was fast for the time. All ADCs work by sampling their input at intervals of time.

Performance management Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Performance management WPA needs to manage the performance of its employees effectively if it is to remain competitive. There are many methods that WPA can use to manage the performance of their employees. These methods include: * Appraisal systems: Performance management is the system in which the employees are reviewed at regular intervals so they are monitored to tell the employer how they perform in their jobs. This is usually be carried out by the employee’s manager, however it is practical to include in the system. Self evaluation: This is where the employee reviews their own performance. Peer evaluation: This involves an employee being reviewed by colleagues who are at the same level or even lower than the employee being monitored. Regular appraisal helps WPA to improve the performance of the workforce; feedback is given regularly which allows WPA to easily identify if there is a problem, WPA also have a staff suggestion theme called ‘think’ this allows the employees to discuss and forward their views so that they are heard. The motivation of the employees are improved as if an employee is working well they may be grateful for some encouragement and a work of thanks, however on the other hand if the employee is not doing so well they need to be told and they need to know what is expected, if the performance is low WPA provide training and support and if it is consistently below the standards of WPA then they use a capability proce...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Necessity of Gun Control :: Exemplification Essays

As a result of the many school shootings that have taken place in the last few years, there has been a push for stricter gun control laws. Many people don't feel safe in today's society. The government has been listening to the people and has already passed some laws. There are some people who are opposed to stricter gun control laws. Many gun enthusiasts don't believe that gun control laws will resolve the problem. They claim that only law abiding citizens would obey the laws - and they aren't the ones creating the problem. This group presents some good arguments for eliminating current gun control laws. One of the main arguments that anti gun control groups make is that they have a constitutional right to own guns. The second amendment to the constitution states that all American citizens have the right to bear arms. There are many people who think that guns should be banned all together. According to the constitution, this can't be done. All people have the right to own a gun if they want to. If the people are given this right by the constitution, then this right can't be denied. The government hasn't gone so far as to ban guns completely yet, but they have started to pass some laws aimed at controlling guns. One thing that they have done is to require a waiting period and a background check before people can buy a handgun. Gun dealers use a computerized instant check system to perform background checks. Many people argue that this system doesn't really work. According to Pema Levy of Newsweek, the system does block some people from getting guns, but it isn't 100% effective. The system is only as good as the information entered into it, and many local courts are lax about reporting convictions (Levy). Even if a potential criminal is stopped from buying a gun, they could still get one if they wanted to. According to Joe Lienhard, these regulations only apply to gun dealers. If someone couldn't buy a gun because they failed the background check, they could still get one from a private owner or a gun show. These laws simply don't do what they are inte nded to do. Criminals can still get guns if they want. All these laws do is make it harder for law-abiding citizens to get guns.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Epic Hero

Epic Hero Essay Heroes are strong, brave, loyal, and intelligent people that help us when we run into trouble and inspire us. Odysseus displays these characteristics, in the epic poem â€Å"The Odyssey. † He's on a quest to get back home and to regain his throne, but a series of unfortunate events occur that makes his journey long and treacherous. In his various adventures like The Cyclops, The Land Of The Dead, and The Lotus-Eaters, Odysseus shows examples of his heroic characteristics. In Odysseus's adventures, he comes across a cyclops named Polyphemus. When Odysseus was trapped in Polyphemus's cave, he told him his name was â€Å"nhbdy. † He also knew that he shouldn't have killed him in his sleep because he and his men wouldn't have been able to escape. Through that experience, he proved that he was an intelligent and cunning person. When Odysseus went to the Land of the Lotus-Eaters, he and his men rested there and relaxed. His men were pressured to eat the lotus plants and it made his crew all looney and â€Å"high. Odysseus showed his intelligence and loyalty by not eating the lotuses and carrying his men back to the ship. With every action Odysseus takes, it exposes him even more as an epic hero. On his journey to The Land Of The Dead, Odysseus displays extraordinary actions that truly show he is an epic hero. He was brave enough to even go down to the underworld and strong enough to undergo the heat. He fended off evil spirits and met his friend and his mother. Odysseus, raider of cities used his strength to go through those events. Heroes are strong, smart, devoted, and courageous people that help and influence us. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, from the epic poem â€Å"The Odyssey,† shows that he surely is an epic hero. He went through a whole bunch of horrible events that has proven his existence as a great role model. It is people like Odysseus that makes this world a better place and he influences people to become more a hero everyday.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Impact of Advertising on the Youth

Positive Effects Of Advertisement On Kids †¢Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It increases their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as well as otherwise. †¢Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet of a child, if they are attractive enough. Negative Effects Of Advertisement On Kids †¢Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the products shown in the commercials, whether useful or not.The little ones tend to get adamant, if they are not bought the product. †¢Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They overlook the positive side and concentrate more on the negatives. †¢Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be performed only by experts. Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory warnings with the ad, the kids often try to imitate the stunts at home, with fatal results. †¢The flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in children. Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life without materialistic joy. †¢The kids usually get more attracted towards the costly branded products, such as jeans and accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful, ones that are not shown in the commercials. †¢Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behavior of children. They might develop temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown in the commercials. †¢The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered by the advertisements, to a great extent. Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during children's TV viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in kids, thereby affecting their health adversely. Positive Effects of Advertisements on Kids 1) Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It increases their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as well as otherwise. 2) Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet of a child, if they re attractive enough. Negative Effects Of Advertisement On Kids 1) Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the products shown in the commercials, whether useful or not. The little ones tend to get adamant, if the product is not bought for them. 2) Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They overlook the positive side and concentrate more on the negatives. 3) Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be performed only by experts.Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory warnings with the ad, kids often try to imitate the stunts at home , with fatal results. 4) Flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in children. 5) Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life without materialistic joy. 6) Kids usually get more attracted towards costly branded products, such as jeans and accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful ones that are not shown in the commercials. ) Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behavior of children. They might develop temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown in commercials. 8) The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered by advertisements, to a great extent. 9) Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during children’s TV viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in kids, thereby affecting their health adversely.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Responding to the Wii Essay

Kazuo Hirai, the chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) has encountered two large rivals in the video game industry this year. Nintendo and Microsoft have released advanced video game consoles that have left Sony sales behind. Nintendo especially, has broken the status quo for marketing in the video game industry by dramatically expanding its target market from 18-34 year-olds to 9-65 year-olds both male and female with its new video game console, the Wii. For years, Sony had gone head to head with Microsoft competing for the same market with their PSPs and X-Boxes consoles. Both Sony and Microsoft focused on using advanced technology to create cutting edge video game consoles whose purpose was more than just video games. Their target market was 18-19 year old males. On the other hand, the Wii is not as advanced as the PSP or X-Box. Its main attraction are its wireless, motion-sensing controllers that allow gamers to use their limbs (punching, swinging, batting) to control the actions of on-screen characters. Also, the Wii was designed with user- friendly capabilities that appeal to all audiences. Nintendo is threatening competition for Sony. There are five main forces that drive Video Game Industry competition: * Intensity of rivalry among Competitors * Threat of New Entrants * Threat of Substitutes * Bargaining Power of Suppliers * Bargaining Power of Buyers Strategic Issues Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors One of Sony’s largest threat and competitor is Nintendo. Nintendo sold 32.4 million units for the Wii, while Sony sold 15.5 million units. While Sony was occupied retaliating to Microsoft’s X-box video game console, Nintendo rose to take number one position in the video game industry. In 2007, Sony lost 9.7% of its Operating Margin, while Nintendo was up to 58.8% in millions of dollars. This is an important issue because Sony has been at the top of the industry for many years and is now suddenly is losing capital. Currently in the Video Game industry rivalry and competition is really intense. In Sony’s case, it is the way Nintendo’s Wii console is appealing to all audiences that has affected Sony the most. With Sony only reaching out to a closed market, it is difficult to increase sales. Also, Sony has to keep up working on new technology for the PSP to overcome Microsoft’s X-box. If Sony does not step up its g ame, then soon it will be left behind and sales will hit the floor. Threat of New Entrants Sony’s second rival in sales is Microsoft and their video game console, the X-box 360. Microsoft threatens to take control of the gaming market of 18-35 year olds. Microsoft brought out the new X-box live that allows players to play online with players from all over the world while video chatting with them at the same time. If Sony does not address the issue with the Wii, and does not improve sells, Microsoft could take over Sony’s target market. This force is moderately strong, and is another threat to Sony. Threat of Substitutes In Sony’s case, if Sony does not respond to the Wii or X-box and loses its target market new entrant s might join the video game industry to take advantage of the lack of motivation from Sony and their target market. Sony needs to make sure it keeps their current target market by providing improved technology and new games. If not, then there could be a possibility that new competitors come into play and take Sony’s position as lead video game provider for 18-35 gamers. Also, Nintendo could just take over the whole Video Game industry. Although, this force is not very strong it can definitely happen, especially with Sony’s sales loss. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Currently, Sony is not being affected by the bargaining power of suppliers. However, the companies that it does work with (Toshiba and IBM) could refuse to manufacture new products for Sony if they feel they are taking a risk based on Sony’s drop in sales. For example when Microsoft joined the Video Game Industry it attempted to do things differently, like not charging royalties to third parties, thus third party console makers declined to manufacture x-boxes. This is also a moderate force that must be kept on check because whatever Sony’s decision is to do in respond to the Wii, Sony will have to go to these third parties to manufacture the new ideas. Bargaining Power of Buyers For Sony, there is not a lot of bargaining power from buyers. The issue is that its market is not as large as Nintendo’s. This force is not an immediate threat to Sony but rather would happen in a case where a company was forced to reduce the price of its video game console to please its market. The main issue in the Video Industry is not the cost of the product but rather the quality and popularity amongst the market. Recommendations Of all these five forces that drive Video Game industry competition, the strongest forces are the intensity of rivals and threat of new entrants. Sony should not try to compete with Nintendo for the market, but should instead focus on its strongest facets in order to keep pleasing their current target market. Sony has become very popular amongst its target market and if it is not focused it can become weak and lose its market. If this happens then Microsoft would take Sony’s position and market and have no other main competitors. If Sony can improve sales by pleasing its target market, then the other four forces can be avoided. Sony should stay focused on finding new technology to improve its current game console to please its current target market. This market has been following Sony since its birth and should be Sony’s priority. Rushing into a larger market could damage Sony even more. The Video Game industry is definitely an attractive business for So ny, but Sony should be aware of its competitors and keep its product high quality.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Lululemon Business Strategy Essay

Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson who took a commercial yoga class in Vancouver and was immediately drawn in to the concept. After spending many years in the surf, skate, and snowboarding business, he found yoga was performed using cotton clothing and this seemed inappropriate because it neither removed sweat adequately nor did it allow for maximum flexibility. Given his passion and expertise in technical athletic fabrics, he began a movement in yoga clothing where he relied on feedback from yoga instructors to optimize his apparel. Lululemon was founded in 1998 to meet these goals. It opened its first store in November 2000 in Kitsilano, a beach area of Vancouver BC. Beyond getting feedback from instructors on how to improve the performance of the apparel, the firm sought to act as a community hub where people can interact and share the physical and mental aspects of having a healthy lifestyle. 1. What are the key elements of the strategy that Lululemon is pursuing? What generic strategy best fits Lululemon’s strategy? The five key elements are: Grow the company store base in North America The strategic objective was to add new stores to strengthen the company’s presence and then tap into new geographical markets in the Canada and US Increase brand awareness Leveraging the publicity surrounding, the opening of new stores with grass roots marketing programs. This included organizing events and partnering with local fitness coaches. Introduce new product technologies Continue to focus on developing and offering products that incorporate technology enhanced fabrics, and performance features that differentiate Lululemon for its competitor and increase its customer base. Broaden the appeal of Lululemon products This is divided in 3 sections 1. Adding men apparel to the line 2. Expanding to product category to items such as athletic bags, undergarments, sandals, outerwear 3. Adding products suitable additional sports and athletic activities Expand beyond North America Expand their presence in Australia and Japan. Then eventually pursue the Asian and European markets that offer similar, attractive demographics. Distinctive shopping expericance Provide a distinctive in-store shopping experience, complemented by strong ties to fitness instructors, fitness establishments and community events The two biggest strategic adjustments since 2007 had been to drawback from the use of franchising and sell directly to the consumers through the company website. Lululemon fits itself in a differentiated niche strategy 2. Is Lululemon’s strategy effective? Let’s look at the following to determine if the strategy is effective for Lululemon The firm currently has three segments: Corporate-Owned Stores The corporate-owned stores segment includes all sales to customers through corporate-owned stores in North America and Australia. This segment is by far Lululemon’s largest revenue base and will continue to be successful as Lululemon looks to expand its base in 2012 by opening 30 stores in the United States and 2 Ivivva Athletica stores in Canada. Direct To Consumers The Direct to Consumers segment involves Lululemon’s e-commerce website. Which is 10.6 % of revenue (2011) comes from this segment. The idea behind is to shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online channels, Lululemon’s commitment to increasing its presence in e-commerce will help the company expand its customer base and improve brand awareness. Franchise While previously franchise sales were part of their strategy, the company  reported that it will no longer partake in the business and that it had reacquired its four remaining franchise stores during fiscal 2011. SWOT Analysis Strength Trademarked fabrics Community involvement – offered free yoga class on monthly basis Employee training Innovation Style/comfort Multiple green initiatives Quality – products designed to sustain 5 years of intended use while maintaining functional Brand identity Weakness High retail price Narrow product line Quality control/supply chain Marketing targeted to mostly yoga instructors/studios Loss of customer service with increased scale Weak brand recognition Lack of targeting to men Opportunity Expand product line Serve additional market segments Expand into additional geographic markets Increased demand in athletic apparel Fitness craze Threats Increased competition from current large players in the market Copy cats Economy New entrants Risk of banking on niche markets Lululemon only went public five years ago and have not entered any new industries (focusing mostly in the fitness apparel industry). They have done some corporate restructuring shortly after the company was formed, Lululemon  entered into franchise agreements and then a joint venture. The idea behind this was based on growing the brand to meet consumer demand while conserving financial resources. This was a very effective strategy and served Lululemon well in establishing themselves as a multinational company, helping to build on economies of scope, increasing brand awareness and building a larger customer base. In 2011, Lululemon finally repurchased all the franchise organizations and now all of their stores are corporate owned. The ultimate motive for closing out the franchise business was to preserve and maintain control over branding and focus more on e-commerce. We believe this strategy will work well for Lululemon as it preserves its brand image / competitive advantage and st aying competitive in the online market as well. 3. Top Key Issues facing the company needs to focus on are: The analysis shows us that the retail apparel industry is competitive with very low barriers to entry. Lululemon’s success will attract new competitors to the industry and attract interest from existing competitors. Ultimately, this is a competitive industry with limited barriers to entry. The athletic apparel industry is very competitive, with well capitalized rivals such as Nike and Gap, Inc. Lululemon has limited intellectual property in regards to its performance fabrics and manufacturing processes, therefore the quality and innovation components of strategy could easily be replicated. Lululemon’s self reinforcing activities, such as target customer base, tailored products and community based marketing approach make it very challenging for existing retailers to challenge Lululemon in its market from their own store bases. However, there are limited barriers to entry in this industry and Lululemon should expect new competition to try to copy its format This analysis brings us to issues the company is / could face: Increasing Competition Despite occupying a unique niche within the athletic apparel industry, Lululemon has recently gained competitors in recent years. I.e. Big  companies with large market capitals such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor have dominated the athletic apparel industry and keep gaining more ground. With the exception of a commitment to creating innovative products in apparel, these initiatives are in contrast to Lululemon. In order to market its products, Lululemon completely shuns away from print or media advertising and instead focuses on selecting ambassadors within carefully selected markets. As a result, it’s possible for Lululemon’s competitors to achieve and maintain brand awareness and market share more quickly Narrow focus Lululemon is targeted towards sophisticated and educated women who understand importance of active, healthy lifestyle. Under-Armor, Nike, and Adidas are targeted towards men and women of all ages. New Threats Apart from the big name athletic apparel manufacturers, competitors such as Gap’s Athleta brand, Lucy Activewear Inc. and Bebe Stores’ BEBE SPORT collection have emerged as competitors to Lululemon. Price Point and Manufacturing In light of the new and old competitors, Lululemon could be forced to sell their products at lower price thus reducing margins. Plus Lululemon does not own exclusive intellectual property rights to the technology for its products. This makes it easier for current and future competitors to manufacture and sell products with similar performance capabilities and styling. Cross-country differences in demographic, cultural and market conditions. Buyer tastes for a particular product or service sometimes differ substantially from country to country. Sometimes, product designs suitable in one country are inappropriate in another because of differing local standards. Lululemon is operating in an international marketplace and they have to wrestle with whether and how much to customize their products in each different country market to match the tastes and preferences of local buyers or whether to pursue a strategy of offering a mostly standardized product worldwide. For example, the clothing for women offered in the winter  season will be different from Canada to Australia and vise versa. Firstly, Australia gets hardly any snow and while Canada on the other hand, gets majorly hit every winter. Therefore, the running gear and the hoodies offered in both countries will vary because of the temperature and the climate. Making products that are closely matched to local tastes make them more appealing to local buyers, customizing Lululemon’s products country by country may have the effect of raising production and distribution costs due to the greater variety of designs and components, shorter production runs, and the complications of added inventory branding and distribution logistics. The second issue of transnational strategy incorporates elements of both a globalized and localized approach to strategy making. This type of middle ground strategy is called for when there are relatively high needs for local responsiveness as well as appreciable benefits to be realized from standardization. This strategy that Lululemon is trying to apply has its own disadvantages, such as; it is more complex and harder to implement, conflicting goals may be difficult to reconcile and require trade-offs and implementation more costly and time-consuming. All major global companies employ the franchising strategy. With the franchising strategy, the franchisee bears most of the costs and risks of establishing foreign locations; while Lululemon would have to expend only the resources to recruit, train, support, and monitor franchisees. The big problem that Lululemon is facing currently has to bear all costs of stores all around the world. With this, they would have to ensure that they are providing the products at discounted costs but also having to monitor to ensure that their standard for stores and customer service and experience is maintained. 4. Recommendations for management to improve performance / address key issues The recommendations we have for management is to improve performance and address the key issues, are employing a think global and act local strategy (Transnational). They need to ensure that each country does have the required customizations because the demographics, cultural differences and market conditions vary from country to country. They need to ensure that all their locations follow the same guidelines and customer satisfaction guidelines like they have for their primary locations. Price point and Manufacturing Lululemon does not own any intellectual property to the technology of what processes their products. In turn this makes it easy for competitors to imitate their style. Through analysis, a recommendation to solve this issue would be to patent their processing system. This would be beneficial to the company in such ways as; increasing price points, which in turn increases overall profits. It will also allow for a higher competitive advantage, making it difficult for competing company’s to imitate or copy their style. Sponsor Events and Shows Lululemon should sponsor some sort of events to gain publicity and increase brand awareness. Such can be done by organizing yoga events on a grand scale or some sort of sporting event. Not as high scale as done by its competitors (Nike sponsors the PGA Golf and Adidas sponsors FIFA) E.g. Lululemon could organize a yoga event at the Metro Convention Hall, Toronto Expand in Asia and Europe The company should plan to enhance its European and Asia market, recruiting new management talent and initiating an aggressive program to regionalize this business utilizing a consistent brand image throughout Europe and Asia. New Customers Lululemon should find new customers base other than its niche market. A potential target niche would be adding apparel for golf and tennis into its stores. Action Plan to address issues and improve performance The following action plan is the recommended steps we believe would be the appropriate approach to successfully completing these recommendations. Appendix 1 Value Chain Analysis Supply Chain Management 45 different manufacturers, no long-term contracts – can improve quality control and lower costs by decreasing # and agreeing to contracts Operations Tighten inspection and verification processes to ensure another recall does not occur (see-through pants issue) Distribution Facilities only in Vancouver-BC, Sumner, Washington, and Melbourne, Australia Limits Company’s reach Growth in online sales can offset Sales/Marketing Depend on word of mouth and community based marketing – can increase marketing via media (television, magazines, etc.) and other avenues